“Would she believe it if we told her the radon detector went off in the rest of the house?”
“Probably. She’s not very well versed in construction.”
“Okay. Um, tell her that since she knows we were here last night.” I look back at the ground, thinking. “Who did you talk to that lived here at the time of the murders? If I can get the name of whoever lived in this shed, I think that’s enough to go to the police, right?”
“Yeah,” Rene says. “But they’re going to wonder how the fuck you knew that.”
“I coulddiscoverthe coffee can while wearing gloves and preserving any DNA,” Keith suggests. “I'm helping my aunt renovate this place, after all.”
“That one might make more sense,” I say. “Okay. You both have to get some sleep before work tonight. Can you text me the contact info for the lady who used to live here?”
“No need. She lives at Silver Meadows nursing home in town and is lonely. I think she’d appreciate the visit. Her name is Bernice Hollis.”
“I’ll swing by, and if Allison and Marissa were witches, I should probably fill in my coven and see if they were possible members.”
I run my hand over Hunter’s sleek fur, telling him he did a good job finding evidence. We all walk around the front of the main house together, getting in our cars to leave. The nursing home is about fifteen minutes away, and I send Ethan a text letting him know my plan for the rest of the afternoon.
The “guest parking” section at the nursing home is pretty empty. I get out, looking around before Hunter shadows out of the car. Pulling my purse onto my shoulder, I start toward the front doors, wondering if this was the nursing home Aunt Estelle lived out her final days. How lonely she must have been. I’m not sure which I feel more: anger or sadness.
I could have visited her, insisted she be moved to New York so the whole family could look after her. Hell, I would have considered moving in with her and helping take care of her at home. Maybe I would have always lived with her and got a job somewhere in Thorne Hill. Life would have been so different if I’d just known the truth from the start.
“Hi,” I say to the front desk receptionist. She’s playing a game on her phone and only glances up at me. “I’m here to see Bernice Hollis.”
“Ummm.” She makes a big deal of turning around to look at the analog clock on the wall. Like…your phone is literally in your hand. “She’s probably in the rec room.”
“Would you mind telling me how to get there?”
She lets out a sigh as if I just asked her to single handedly change all the bedsheets in the place. “Yeah. I really shouldn’t leave the desk so let me buzz up a CNA.”
“Great, thanks.” I fake a smile, already feeling bad for the CNA that’s going to be taken away from a job they’re most likely already behind on. I know from Laney and Keith, who both work in the medical field, that nurses and CNA are in short supply across the nation.
It takes a good five minutes for someone to come up, and an older woman with tired eyes joins us at the desk.
“Yeah, this girl wants to see Bernice.”
I offer a kind smile and the CNA waves for me to follow.
“Sorry to take you away from work,” I say.
“Nah, it’s okay. Two visitors in one week! You another friend of Bernie’s?”
“No, but we share a mutual friend who I, uh, just realized knew her.”
“Uh-huh.” The CNA nods and I probably could have said just about anything and gotten the same response. “That’s her. Pink blanket.” She points to an old lady sitting alone in a wheelchair. She’s next to a bird cage and is facing a wall. God, this is sad.
“Hi,” I say, coming over to her. Keith didn’t warn me about her failing mental stage or anything, but I assume she’s in a nursing home for a reason. “Are you Bernice?”
“Depends on who’s asking.” She laughs and turns with a smile on her face.
“Hi. I’m Anora. You talked to my friend, Keith, not that long ago.”
“Ahh, I did. Such a handsome young man. Is he your boyfriend?”
“No, he’s just a friend.” I smile and pull a chair around. “Do you want to move over here?” I motion to the window.
“Oh, that would be lovely.” I go behind the wheelchair, take the brake off, and move her so she’s in the sun, making sure it’s not shining right in her eyes. “Do you have a boyfriend? Or a husband, perhaps?”
“I do have a boyfriend. His name is Ethan.”